Rated one of Pennsylvania's top blog/sites, the LuLac Political Letter delves into issues of politics on all levels (with special concentration on Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties: thus the name LULAC) and pop culture.
The LuLac Political Letter was also named Best Political Blog of the Year for 2014 by NEPA BLOGCON and most recently David Yonki was named Best Blogger of the year 2015 by the publication Diamond City.

It occurred to me recently that the government has spent billions of dollars trying to get the economy moving. They’ve given money to the banks that screwed us over with greed, faulty acquisitions and high credit card rates. Next came the car companies that so badly mismanaged themselves but overpaid their top execs bonuses for failing. We found that some New England newspapers wanted a bailout from the government which borders on insanity. I mean do we want the government involved in the integrity, fiscal or otherwise of the media? The other day Larry Flynt of all people wanted a 5 billion dollar bailout for the porn industry because revenue was down. We are rewarding people for bad behavior and horrible management. I have an alternative idea which makes way too much sense for this government. But here it is anyway:1. Every American who is a taxpayer and does not have a problem or lien with the IRS gets a lump sum of $200,000. A one time gift. The person receiving this one time grant must pay a 10% tax on it. In effect, as soon as they get the dough, they should write out a check to Uncle Sam for $20,000. They could use the remainder of the money on what they want.2. Each American citizen with a valid driver’s license and a paid up insurance policy gets a $20,000 stipend to buy a car. The car must be American made, a model year from 2005 to 2009 and paid for in full. No financing.3. If a working American is found guilty of a crime within the time period of the stimulus plan, the money is forfeited.4. Each American getting the $200,000 check will be required to set up a $20,000 health saving account for themselves, a $5,000 account for each child.5. Any college student attending a state school or private university will get a 50% break on their education per semester if they commit to a 2 year program of public service after graduation or before the age of 35. Failure to do so will result in a bill for educational services rendered by the college institution. Service employees will be required to offer proof of completion from the volunteer or government organization they serve. A conviction of any type will deem the service program useless for the individual.6. Before any national health care plan is even attempted, there must be a standardization of care for every state in the union. This will keep welfare mothers from New York coming to Pennsylvania for pre natal care and then returning to New York to have their baby.7. A job retraining grant of $5,000 to every American for a technical skill dealing with the internet, computers, software and new technologies. A passing grade of 85% is required. Non completion of the course will result in a chargeback.8. A limit on the number of children people on public assistance can have. If they go over the quota, they have to introduce themselves to the age old concept taught to children for years: sharing.Now all of these plans aren’t going to fly because they make sense.

RICHARD NIXON

Today Richard Nixon would have been 96 years old. The debut of the Frost/Nixon movie tells us that as a historical figure, Richard Nixon remains a constant in pop culture, the movies and the history books.

PALIN’S PAIN

Sarah Palin is really started to whine big time about the treatment she received in the media. Palin told a conservative reporter that Tina Fey and Saturday Night Live used her and her family and that the Katie Couric interview was stacked against her. Let’s see, Palin participated in all of the skits on SNL, bouncing like a teeny bopper to a rap song that was insulting to her and John McCain. She was the one who couldn’t name a newspaper she read in a softball interview question. And now she’s complaining about the treatment of her and her family by the press? Please, enough already. This one is making Dan Quayle look like a Rhodes scholar.

DAN IN THE REARVIEW

WVIA TV’S Bill Kelly has done it again with a great program on the late Dan Flood. One of the guests was Michael Clark of Pittston who was one of Flood’s top aides. Kelly cajoled, charmed and asked great questions about Dan Flood. The show was The State of Pennsylvania. Check out the WVIA website for repeats of this wonderful show. http://www.wvia.org/tv/ According to the website, the show will air again Sunday, Jan. 11th at 1PM.

CASEY AND THE CLEARYS

Jack Cleary and his wife, Marianne, will be among 20 special guests of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey when Obama is sworn in on the steps of the Capitol Jan. 20.Each senator is allocated 393 tickets to distribute to constituents.They’re typically handed out on a first-come-first-served basis and more than 20,000 requests were made to Casey’s office for the event. But the senator wanted to save 20 tickets for personally hand-picked recipients “that represent the challenges Pennsylvanians are facing.” The Clearys were the only Luzerne County residents among them. This was a wonderful gesture by Senator Casey but maybe he should have invited the widow of the first NEPA resident killed in Iraq, Sherwood Baker and his family. Just a thought.

EACHUS BEGINS

New House Majority Leader Todd Eachus has guns blazing to achieve legislative victories on issues ranging from expanded prescription drug benefits to health care access and job creation. Eachus is already bringing stylistic changes to the job of majority leader, the post that makes him one of a half-dozen elected officials in Harrisburg with power to shape the public agenda. Eachus demonstrated this by giving a speech heavy on policy on an opening session day usually reserved for pomp and circumstance. He cited the personal stories of three Luzerne County women to drive home him his message on the need for action on pocketbook issues. Eachus went into specifics that residents of his district and NEPA have been wondering about. Eachus is the first area legislator to hold a position of rank in the House in more than 3 decades. The last one was Ken Lee of Tunkhannock who was House Minority leader in the 1970s.

1964

A British firm, the Leyland Motor Corp., announces the sale of 450 buses to the Cuban government, challenging the United States blockade of Cuba.......In his first State of the Union Address, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson declares a "War on Poverty", one of his campaign promises of 1964.

Armed clashes between United States troops and Panamanian civilians in the Panama Canal Zone precipitate a major international crisis, resulting in the deaths of 21 Panamanians and 4 U.S. soldiers. "Introducing...the Beatles" is released by Chicago's Vee-Jay Records to get the jump on Capitol Records' release of "Meet the Beatles", scheduled for January 20. The 2 record companies fight over Vee-Jay's release of this album in court.....Statewide, the GOP committee begins to gear up for the 1964 election. Favorites on the left appear to be Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York and on the right Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater......in Luzerne County District Attorney Tom Mack takes over the reins of the DA's office. Mack defeated incumbent Stephen Teller in the 1963 general election.....in Lackawanna County, first term 10th Congressional District Congressman Joseph McDade prepares to defend his seat...........and the number one song in America and LuLac land was by a group from England dubbed the Beatles. Veejay Records, a small company jumped in front of a major record label to premiere the music from across the sea. This forced Capitol Records to release the Beatles product. “Meet The Beatles” was released this week and in no time the number one song was a two sided hit, “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” From You Tube, here they are:

18 Comments:

Dave: Great edition. Can you re-tell the story about Dan Flood coming to the Junction? And did Mike Clark have a nickname like most of the Junction boys? Also it was good to see you recognize Tom Mack. I thought he was a great DA. What happpened to his political fortunes after that? And is he related to Mark Mack, the singer/barrister? East End Eddie

IN RESPONSEGreat edition. Can you re-tell the story about Dan Flood coming to the Junction? And did Mike Clark have a nickname like most of the Junction boys?MOST OF THE JUNCTION BOYS HAD NICKNAMES. MINE WAS SLUGGO FROM THE NANCY COMICS. I BELIEVE MICHAEL'S NICKNAME WAS TUMBLER.DON'T KNOW THE ORGIN. ANYWAY, HERE'S THE STORY: It was the dog days of August and I was playing softball with my friends from Pittston Junction on a street called Barnum Place. Actually, it was an alley. We were in the middle of a game, using pseudonyms of our favorite baseball players. Every day we’d pick a different team and it was our obligation as a player to come up with a fake name. On this hot sunny Sunday we were the Chicago White Sox and sticking to my admiration of fair to middling players, I proclaimed myself Sherm Lollar. As we kicked up the dust, our game was interrupted by the approach of a white Cadillac convertible. Now the only guy who had a “caddie” in our neighborhood was Ted Haddock and I knew for a fact he was away with his family. As the mystery car approached, I realized that in the car was a man I had seen on TV for most of my childhood. Every Sunday morning at 10:55AM. The voice boomed, “This is your Congressman Dan Flood reporting to you from Washington!!!” Here he was in the flesh. I nudged the other guys and said, “It’s a freaking Congressman”. He waved and we respectfully reciprocated back in hushed reserve. Now there’s one kid in every group who either just doesn’t know any better or just doesn’t care. I think that might have been the case for our third baseman John “Iggers” Ignatovicth, Junior, aka on that Sunday, Pete Ward. As the Congressman got out of the car, wearing a snow white double breasted suit with lavender shirt and black tie, accompanied by his wife Catherine, “Iggers” yelled out, “Hey Dan, your suit matches the color of your car. What’ya doing in our neck of the woods?” in a cracking voice that could be the poster child for puberty in the 1960s. I thought, “This is a Congressman man, let him be”. Flood turned around and looked at us and then at “Iggers” and said, “I know how to accessorize young man”. Now we didn’t quite know what that meant but Flood had his opening. “Who’s winning?” he asked. “My team” I said. Flood replied, “Keep a slow and steady course, your eye on the ball and a magnificent victory will be yours!” He then shook our hands and walked away into a yard.

IN RESPONSEAlso it was good to see you recognize Tom Mack. I thought he was a great DA. What happpened to his political fortunes after that? And is he related to Mark Mack, the singer/barrister? MARK MACK IS THE OLDEST SON OF TOM MACK. MARK AND I WENT TO GRADE SCHOOL TOGETHER FOR A TIME. AFTER MACK WAS ELECTED DA, HE SURELY COULD'VE RECEIVED ANOTHER TERM. THE MAN HE DEFEATED IN 1963 STEPHEN TELLER RAN AGAIN IN 1967 AND WAS DEFEATED BY BLYTHE EVANS OF PLYMOUTH. MACK HOWEVER WENT FOR ONE OF THE FOUR JUDGESHIPS AVAILABLE THAT YEAR. IN THE GOP PRIMARY HE WAS THE TOP VOTE GETTER WITH 28,847VOTES. HE ALSO GOT 7696 ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE. HE LOOKED LIKE A SURE WINNER. BUT IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, THERE WAS A LOT OF DEAL MAKING AND ON ELECTION DAY A GREAT DEAL OF CUTTING. MACK FINISHED FOURTH WITH 54,127 VOTES. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, ROBERT HOURIGAN IN THE PRIMARY FINISHED SECOND ON THE GOP SIDE WITH 26,000 VOTES AND LAST ON THE DEM SIDE WITH 5800 VOTES. IT WAS SAID THAT THE TWO PARTIES GOT TOGETHER AND DECIDED TO HAVE THEIR POLL WORKERS SPLIT BETWEEN TWO CANDIDATES, ONE A DEMOCRAT, THE OTHER A REPUBLICAN. SO IN THE GENERAL, PETER PAUL OLSZEWSKI, SENIOR, A DEMOCRAT FINISHED FIRST WITH 64,966 VOTES, ROBERTHOURIGAN A REPUBLICAN FINISHED WITH 62, 940 VOTES. ATTORNEY RALPH JOHNSTON, A DEMOCRAT FINISHED THIRD WITH 54,245 VOTES AND MACK, A REPUBLICAN FINISHED WITH 54,217. THIS WAS THE YEAR OF THE GREAT DEMOCRATIC REALIGNMENT ELECTION WHERE THEY TOOK THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE. THE GOP WAS ON ITS WAY DOWN AND MADE THE DEAL TO AT LEAST GET ONE SEAT ON THE BENCH. IF YOU LOOK AT THE VOTE TOTALS, YOU SEE HOURIGAN AND PETER PAUL SENIOR PRETTY CLOSE, THEN YOU SEE AN 8 THOUSAND VOTE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE TOP TWO AND THE NUMBERS THREE AND FOUR CANDIDATES. EVEN AS A 13 YEAR OLD KID, I KNEW THE DEMS CUT JOHNSTON IN FAVOR OF HOURIGAN AND THE GOP CUT MACK IN FAVOR OF OLZSEWSKI. IT WAS LUZERNE COUNTY POLITICS AT ITS MOST EFFICIENT. THESE DAYS, BOTH PARTIES COULDN'T HAVE PULLED IT OFF. MACK RAN A STATE OF THE ART CAMPAIGN WITH BILLBOARDS AND FLYERS THAT WERE WORKS OF ART. BUT A JUDGESHIP WAS NOT TO BE FOR TOM MACK. HE RETURNED TO PRIVATE PRACTICE AND AM TOLD HAS BEEN QUITE SUCCESSFUL. I SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS THAT THE VOTERS OF THE COUNTY MISSED A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE EITHER MACK OR JOHNSTON ON THE BENCH WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO OLZSEWSKI AND HOURIGAN.

Yonki!!! Your stimulus plan is one of socialism (we're there already man) and paternalism. My God it's a good thing you don't have kids! I mean the ideas are good, but on one hand you say people should spend their own money the way they want to but you put strings on certain things. I'm confused but more than impresed with your logic.

Oh God, you’re going to make us re-live the ’64 Phillies…Rookie Richie Allen, Johnny Callison, Chris Short and Jim Bunning’s perfect game on Fathers day while we partied @ Fathers Farm. We were in Philly the last day of the season when the Phils did beat the Reds but the Cards beat them Mets, sad indeed…I used to listen to those games every night on my GE transistor (attached), Richie Ashburn and I can’t remember the other announcer.. I did get to go to a lot of games at Connie Mack Stadium that year, I even have Clay Darumple’s autograph on a Baseball! My Dad had a very good Navy buddy in Philly, so we visited quite often back then. That’s why I still love the EAGLES and Phillies!

wATCHING jOHNSON'S speech gives me chills to see the potential for greatness lost on Vietnam. And your ideas on the stimulus packages are very good and make a lot of sense. I think it is hysterical the GOP is saying don't spend that money because we'll have deficits after 8 years of running up bills. To put the money in the hands of taxpayers, not just small chicken crap amounts but life changing dollars is a great idea. If only those Congressmen thought like you!

Sarah Palin, with her 15 minutes about expired, appears to have launched on a Sour Grapes Tour re-flecting on how it was everybody elses fault she made a fool of herself and John McCain. Sarah, like Geo W has, it would seem, no sense of reality. None! The only individuals who look more foolish than Ms Palin are her continued supporters who clearly can not even number John McCain amongtheir ranks!

You know, you are a dangerous piece of work. Thank God you will never come near getting elected to any office becaue you are bogoted against children born out of wedlock, have very strange ideas on giving out government largesse and then asking for it back and a bit of a neo socialist facist liberterian conservative piece of crap. All you need is a brown shirt, comb over and mustache. Heil LuLac!!

I think the Yonk's bailout plan is superb. And grown up. Unlike Larry Flynt asking for a bailout for sex toys, you don't see a subsidy for out of work tall redheads under the age of 30 in his plan. Or is that a special earmark we'll see in the Yonk's check. PoppinaroHey we kid because we love.

Speaking of morons and numbskulls, hey 7:24, have you ever seen Dan's house on PennsylvaNIA Ave in Wilkes Barre? He was a Northender and last I heard even the three bloggers, Mr. WB on line, the Yonk and the Gort (all northenders all) don't have mansions. Dan lived a simple life, he had his caddie convertible, his wardrobe and his wife to support. No dogs, girlfriends or summer homes or even hobbies. And Jesus H Christmas, to compare him to John Gotti is insane. News flash: JOHN GOTTI KILLED PEOPLE. Dan saved people lives with federal money that was long overdue in this area. Plus he establied a level of cooperation with his neighbors. As Yonk pointed out in his 1964 feature, Joe McDAde was a mere freshman Congressman in '64 and Dan took him under his wing so that Lackawanna County never got shut out of funds. When Kanjorski arrived in 1984, McDade by and large followed Dan's example and did the same thing. Your comments are stupid, lame and a disgrace to any person who can read or write in these oh so ever ignorant hills of NEPA. Help us see oh wise one: NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saw you recently exiting your workplace, that picture of you at your workstation in your blog office is not representative of your weight now. Gotta be the TAB soda. You get any royalties for product placement on your site from the Coke A Cola company?

i guess as long as you do good, and i won't deny that he did, you get a pass on your criminal activities...that example of why luzerne county is a mess, lackawanna is a mess and all of NEPA is a dumping ground. give the masses a slice of bread and you can take the rest of their meal. you just proved my point.for all his power he was censured for bribery and he resigned.the reason our politicians remain corrupt? because they can.f--- this area, it was, is and forever will remain the armpit of the world. why? because people don't mind being robbed blind, as long as they get a morsel.

IN RESPONSEGotta be the TAB soda. You get any royalties for product placement on your site from the Coke A Cola company?YEAH, THAT'S AS LIKELY AS HAPPENING AS ME GETTING A CAMEO SHOT IN GEENA DAVIS' NEXT MOVIE OR TV SHOW!

Thanks for the shoutout 1:21. I grew up in a house in North End that wasn't much different than the Flood's. My memories of him was his appearance at every church bazaar where he always took time to talk to my Dad and he never missed the opening day of the NE Little League. His little house on Penn Ave was always the first stop on Halloween night. Catherine was in charge of handing out the goodies and we came away with a great haul.

Hey 139PM, no person can be judged just on one thing. They can't be judged on a partial part of their life. They have to be taken at face value for the entire life they led, the contributions they made, not just the mistake they made. Dan never got a pass. He got way worse than he deserved.

the caped flake, dan flood, took blood money from people who associated w/certain gotti type associates. his actions while for some reason remain trumpeted have been responsible for the hand out federal ward our region has become. just look at one of our largest employers, tobyhanna. very few folks benifited from flood, most of them bribed him. they made tons of money and helped to keep wages and standard of living low in the region. but keep loving him and keep you hands out.....

About Me

Political analyst for WBRE TV's Pa. Live program and post election commentator for WBRE TV's Eyewitness News Daybreak show. Author of the book "A Radio Story/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors" and "Leges Vitae" "26 Rules of Life" and the new novel, "Weather Or Knot". The blog editor also writes various news articles and columns as well as upcoming literary projects. The blog editor was a frequent guest on WYOU TV'S INTERACTIVE NEWSCASTS when political issues were discussed on the national, state and local level. Yonki was a weekly panelist on WYLN TV 35's Friday Topic A program. He also appeared on the Hazleton, PA. station on Election Night doing coverage and did special projects and stories for WYLN TV 35's 10PM Newscast "Late Edition".